Alfred De Bathe Brandon
Born 21 Jul 1883 - Died 19 Jun 1974
- Service number
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- Also known as
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- Last rank
- Major/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, Staff AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Alfred De Bathe AWMM
- Surname
- Brandon AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
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- Service number
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- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 21 Jul 1883 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- Solicitor/Civilian AWMM
- Next of kin
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- Relationship status
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Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
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- Service number
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- Military service
- Special Reserve, Royal Flying Corps AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: London Gazette, 4 October 1916. Citation: "In recognition of his gallantry and distinguished service in connection with the successful attack on enemy Airships." (Haigh & Polaschek, p304) AWMM - Military Cross (MC) AWMM
- Victory Medal with oak leaf AWMM
- MC: London Gazette, 16 May 1916. Citation: "For conspicuous gallantry and skill in dropping bombs onPublic - elli - 24 January 2015 - (1916, may, 16), London Gazette Supplement, p4929
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 Dec 1915 AWMM
Age 32 AWMM
Solicitor/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- Second Lieutenant AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Injured in flying accident in March 1917 AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Major/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, Staff AWMM - Last rank
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Biographical information
- Alfred Brandon was the son of Alfred de Bathe and Louisa (nee Kebbell) Brandon. Alfred Sr was a solicitor and served as Mayor of Wellington, 1893-94.
Brandon's grandfather, also named Alfred de Bathe Brandon, was an early Wellington settler and crown prosecutor.
Brandon studied law at Trinity College, Cambridge, UK, before returning to Wellington to work for his father's law firm.
After the outbreak of war in 1914, he returned to England and joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in December 1915.
He was posted to the Special Reserve unit as a 2nd Lieutenant on 8 December 1915 and qualified as an RFC pilot on 26 February 1916.
Brandon flew a BE2c single-engine biplane and spent most of his time in the war fighting the German zeppelins. As a Flight Lieutenant, he was somewhat controversially credited with destroying Zeppelin LZ-15 on 31 March 1916 (detractors say ground fire brought the zeppelin down, but he certainly helped to damage it, if nothing else).
He also severely damaged Zeppelin LZ-33 before it was hit by ground fire and crashed on 23 September 1916. (Note that Haigh & Polaschek incorrectly give this date as 23 August).
Promoted to Major in January 1918.
Immediately after the war he was sent back to New Zealand where he assisted in evaluating New Zealand's air defences and prepared a report on landing grounds in 1919. He then quit the military and returned to practicing law.
He married Ada Mabel Perry at the Cathedral Church of St Paul, Wellington, on 2 January 1942. He was twenty years her senior. They had one son.
He retired in the 1950s to enjoy his horse-racing, golf, and fishing pursuits.
Tragically Peter Brandon, his only son, was killed in a road accident in 1969.
Brandon is noteworthy as being the first New Zealand airman to be awarded the DSO. AWMM - Sept 24th anvisual display about himd 25th 2016, we will be having a "Zepfest" at the site of the landing of Zeppelin L33 to mark the centenary of the crash. I have been doing some research in preparation and found Major Alfred de Bathe Brandon's role in chasing the Zeppelin. I am preparing a visual display. Would anyone like to make a contribution?Public - Christine - Researcher - 2 May 2016 - Book.Title Zeppelin Volume 2: Author ray L. Rimel. also www.airhistory.org.uk
- Alfred Brandon was the son of Alfred de Bathe and Louisa (nee Kebbell) Brandon. Alfred Sr was a solicitor and served as Mayor of Wellington, 1893-94.
About death
- Death
- 19 Jun 1974 AWMM
Age 90 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Cemetery
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
- Obituary: Evening Post 20 June 1974 AWMM
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Memorial
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Sources
- External links
- Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz
Sources Used - References
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- The Evening Post
Obituary: Evening Post 20 June 1974 - Harper, G., Clements, C., & Johns., R. (2019). For King and Other Countries: The New Zealanders Who Fought in Other Services in the First World War. Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Press.
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